Device for prevention of vapor lock in gasoline lines and the like



y 1946. A. F. CARPENTER 1 ,578 I DEVICE FOR PREVENTION OF VAPOR LOCK IN GASOLINE LINES AND THE LIKE Fi led Dec; 5, 1941 Patented July 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE DEVICE FOR PREVENTION OF VAPOR LOCK IN GASOLINE LINES AND THE LIKE Albert F. Carpenter, chicag'o, Ill.

Application December 3, 1941, Serial No. 421,450

This invention relates to a device for thepre- 'vention of vapor lock in gasoline lines and the like and more particularly to the removal, from a liquid stream, of bubbles or pockets of vapor 3 Claims. (.01. 183 2.5)

uid, the removal taking place while the liquid is being passed through a conduit. The operation is particularly suitable for removing bubbles or pockets of gasoline vapor from the liquid gasoline as it is being passed through. the pump for an internal combustion engine, thu preventing, va-

poalockin thepump. y I

Another object of the invention is to provide an expansion chamber about a liquid passage whereby vapors in the liquid stream in the passage may be removed to the chamber. Still another object is to provide a conduit which opens into a chamber and which is so constructed and ar-' ranged as to maintain the level of liquid in the chamber below or at the same level'with' the opening in the conduit. A further object is to provide a closed chamber containing air and being arranged about an opening in the passage so as to receive vapor pockets-or bubbles from the liquid stream in the passage. I

Other features and advantages of th -invention will appear from the following specification and drawing, in which-- 4 Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the apparatus as connected to an internal combustion engine; Fig. 2 is a vertical s'ectionalview taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l, showingthe expansion chamber about the conduit and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same chamber, I I

In the operation of internal combustionengines, the gasoline is ordinarily delivered to the carburetor by a suitable pump which draws the gasoline from the-gasoline tank or container and passes it into the carburetor. Under conditions of relatively high atmospheric temperature, the gasoline, While passing through the conduit or line into the pump or carburetor of the engine, tends to vaporize slightly to form innumerable small bubbles or pockets of gasoline vapor within the liquid stream. These small vapor pockets when drawn into the pump interfere with its operation and cause what is known as vapor lock, a condition wherein the vapors in the pump prevent the operation thereof.

The present invention is designed to avoid the difficulties of vapor lock by removing from the stream of liquid gasoline'in' the gasoline line any gasoline vapors which are present therein. Preferably the device is located adjacent the pump so that the operation occurs immediately before the gasoline is-introduc'ed into the pump.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated herein, an internal combustion engine it] is equipped in the usual manner with aparburetor H, a gasoline pump I 2,-a filter l3 and a gasoline tank I4. A conduit l5 connects the gasoline tank with the other elements and permits the gasoline to flow from the tank I4 through the filter l3 and pump l2 to the carburetor II. The conduit l5 may be of any suitable construction and normall consists of copper tubing of an appropriate size. I

Adjacent the pump I2 is a chamber I5 which is disposed about the conduit I5. The chamber l6 as seen in Figs, 2 and 3 may be cylindrical in shape and equipped with a cylindrical side wall "and end walls l8 and I9. 'I'heend walls l8 and I!) are sealed to the ends of the side wall I! to provide an air-tight container. As shown, the

end walls l8 and I9 ma be provided with annular flange 20 and 2| which are turnedbackwardly upon themselvesat 22 and 23 to provide a lip which may be soldered or otherwise sealed to the side wall I1.

The side wall I! of the casing I6 is provided with opening at 24 and 25 through which eX- tends the conduit I5. The side Wall I! of the casing l6 may be provided with annular flanges 26 and 27 about the openings 24 and 25 and by this means may be sealed in air-tight relation to the outer wall of the conduit l5.

The upper surface of the conduit 15 within the casing I6 is equipped with a small opening 28 which brings the passage 29 formed by the conduit l5 into communication with the chamber 5!! formed by the casing IS. The casing I6 is secured tothe conduit l5 in airtight relation therewith and with the chamber 30 provided by the casing l6 being at least partially filled with air when the casing is sealed in position. Preferably the casing is arranged about the conduit i5 and sealed in position while the conduit is empty, thus providing a chamber 38 substantially level within the chamber substantially below the conduit IS, the level, as shown, being at 3|.

The chamber 30 extends upwardly and downwardly from the opening 28 in the conduit I5 and while permitting liquid gasoline to flow from the opening 28 into the lower .portion of the chamber at the same time provides an expansion chamber above the opening for receiving gasoline vapors from the opening 28.

In the operationof the devicfthe casing l6 is sealed about the' conduit IS with the opening 28 providing communication between the passage '29 formed by the conduit l5 and the chamber '33 formed by the casing l6. The'casihg leis-sealed about the conduit I5 With the chamber 3fl-beihg filled with air under substantially atmospheric pressure. The openings 24 and 25 attire-wan H of the casing It shouldbe-so disposed that the opening 28 in the conduit lt'is in the upper half of the chamberSll and the chamber p'rovi'd'es a volume below the opening at least equal to that'abovethewopeningz When theengine 10' is set in operation, the pump 12 causes g'asolineto" be drawnfromn the tank-I4 through the casing 16. As the ease me passes through the passage "in the conduit" l5, a certain camount' of the liquid gasoline will flow from the o ening zaintothe chamber at, the quantity of gasolinewhich'passes through the opening 28'dependihg upon'the degree of vacuum establishedby thepuinp and theair pressure within "the" closed chamber '30". the air" pres: sure" is increased in the closed chambrflfby reasonwof "the decrease in available volume there}- in because of? the introduction of-tools, the sure "of' the air? on t e rn uid gasolineatfthe opening 28 increases until thisprs ur'eis equal duitiand'no'more liquid will scene I opening '28." Under" ordinary conditions in the operation of the internal combustib as those used in automobiles; *the eq pressure between theair in the chamber the liquidin'qthe passage in tiates-stem; before the body" of-'liquid t e charities 39 reaches the level ofthopening 2 8, atleast when the volume of the chamber 30 -below"th e opening 28 =is'at' least-equal to that abovelth ope ing,

The liquid gasoline flowing through thejpassag'e' 29 may contain inntunerableininute bubbles of gasoline vap'orL' When thesebubblesof.vappr pass through theopening zsthey are" moved u wardly through the'openinginto'thechamber 3B and are thus removed'froni the stream of liduid gasoline: 'By reason of the well known phenomena of partial pressure; the so in the chamber 30 serves toprevent the further flowof liquid through the opening 28 once the equilibrium con ditionis e'stablishedfbut'does notprevent the flow of gasoline vapor from the opening 28. Ac cordingly; the bubblesor pockets of gasoline vapor in the liquid stream are'rea'dily removed t'o the chamber 30.

As the gasoline vapor accumulates in the chamber 30, condensation will occur particularly if the casing 16 is not exposed to excessive heat and the condensed gasoline will flow into the passage 29 through the opening 28 in accordance with the equilibrium conditions established between the liquid gasoline in the passage and the air in the chamber 30.

By providing a construction in which an opening" in"* 'the upper surface of the'conduit I5 is open to the 'air"fil1ed chamber 30, the gasoline vapor bubbles are readily removed through the opening and need not pass substantially out of the line of"fiow"'t0 reach the opening 2 3. v

"While there "have been shown and described certain embodiments or the invention it is un de'rstoodthat it is capable of many modifications.- changes, therefore; in the construction and an rangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. Advice for the prevention of vapor lock in gasoline lines comprising, a conduit providing. a passage 'forfthe" gasoline and being equipped with a'single small opening in the, upper surfaee thereof; a casing received about some conduit and sealed thereto; said casing providin closed chamber containing air and communicating, with said opening and extending upwardly and downwardly theref rom, said openingfbeing disposed in vthe"central portion f the chamber whereby at leastjhalf of t e volume or the chamber is below ss d'o enina A deviceforthe prevention of vapor lock in gasoline lines com rising, a horizontal conduit providing a passage for gasoline and equipped singlesmallopenihg in theup r surraoe t a c1osed cylindrical casing extending abou id conduit and sealed thereto with the conduit extending through the side wall of the casingta'nd with the. openihgin the conduit being disposed. hithe central portion of the casing, whereby atleast half of the internal volume of the. chamberprovided by the casing is disposed below the opening.

3. A device for the prevention of vapor lockin gasoline li-nes comprising, a, horizontal conduit providing a passage for gasoline and'equipped witha single small opening in the upper surface thereofli a casing extending about said conduit and sealed thereto providing a closed chamber containing air, said chamber being in communication with said opening and extending upwardly al ldgdownwardly therefrom, the opening in said conduit being disposed in the upper half by volume ofathe ch amber whereby the air pressure inthe chamber serves to prevent sufficient liquid gasoline from flowing from the opening-in the conduit to reach a. liquid :level in the chamber ab ove' theopening in the conduit.

hLBfEfRfI? ABHNTER; 

